Display-form.



No. 639,779. Patented Dec. 26, I899.

. G. R. SHARF.

DISPLAY FORM.

(Appiication filed Aug. 8, 1898.)

(No Model.)

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UNITED STAT S PATENT QFFICE.

GEORGE R. SHARF, OF SIDELL, ILLINOIS.

DlSPLAY'-FORM.

'sPEoIFicAT'IoN forming part of Letters Patent No. 639,779, datedDecember 26, 1899.

Application filed August 8, 1898. Serial No. 688,135. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE R. SHARE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Sidell, in the county of Vermilion and State of Illinois,have invented a new and useful Display- Form, of which the following isa specification.

This'invention relates to improvements in forms for displaying corsets,shirt-waists, and the like in show-windows and other places and formaintaining the same properly in shape fora neat and attractive displayof their make and outline.

The object of the invention is to provide a form of this character whichis simple, cheap, and durable in construction, capable of being easilyadjusted to fit the different styles and sizes of articles to bedisplayed, and adapted when in use to be concealed from View and whennot in use to be conveniently compressed or collapsed in close compassfor storage or transportation.

With this and other minor objects in view the invention consists of adisplay-form embodying certain novel features of construction,combination, and arrangement of parts, which will be hereinafter morefullydescribed, and particularly set forth in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a View in side elevation of adisplay-form constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is atop plan view thereof. Fig. 3 is a side elevational View showing theform compressed or collapsed for storage or transportation. Fig. 4 is aperspective view showing the manner of applying the form for displayinga corset, the latter being illustrated in broken lines.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, A represents the bodyportion of the display-form,which is made of coiled Wire, substantiallyin the shape of a double helical spring, having intermediate coils orconvolutions 1), increasing in diameter upward and downward from thepoint of smallest diameter at the center to conform to the configurationof the waist portion of the corset, shirtwaist, or other article to bedisplayed, and top and bottom coils b and b of different diameters tocorrespond to the variation in the size of the article at the bust andwaist portions thereof. Spring-steel wire No. 10 is preferably employedin the construction of the coiled body portion, as this grade of wire isstifi enough to hold the corset or other article to which it is applieddistended to the desired fullness and yet resilient enough to allow thecoil to be readily compressed in folded or col lapsed condition andmaintained insuch condition for a long period without aifecting itsexpansive qualities.

The top and bottom coils of the body portion are connected byindependentretainingwires 0, which are preferably made of some soft pliable metal,such as copper, and placed on the interior of the, body portion andlooped at their ends about said coils. These retaining-wires serve tostay the coiled body portion and at the same time prevent undueextension of such portion when partially compressed. The form may bereadily adjusted to receive corsets and shirt-waists of differentlengths by simply detaching the retainingwires from one end of the coil,compressing the coil to the desired extent, and then loopingthe freeends of said retaining-wires about the coil again to retain the latterin compressed condition, and the soft pliable character of theretaining-wires permits of this being conveniently done with a minimumamount of labor and without the use of tools or danger of breaking saidwires. This pliability of the retaining-wires also avoids the necessityof removing said wires when the coiled body portion is fully compressedinto a folded or collapsed condition, as they are adapted to bend andfold between the convo- I lutions and may be easily straightened outwhen the coil is allowed to expand.

Hooks d are arranged upon one end of the coiled body portion to hookover the other end thereof and hold the coiled portion in compressed orcollapsed condition in the manner shown in Fig. 3. In thepresentinstance I have shown the hooks arranged upon the bottom coil 2)to engage the top coil b; but this arrangement may be reversed,ifdesired. By this means the display-form may be folded in close compass,so that it may be conveniently carried and a large number packed withina minimum amount of storage-space.

The manner of employing the form for displaying an article of thecharacter described -such as a corset, for instance-4s clearly shown inFig. 4, from which it will be seen that the form when applied isconcealed from View and holds the corset distended in an efficientmanner to attractively exhibit the make and outline thereof.

Havin g thus described the invention, What is claimed as new is- 1. Aform for exhibiting shirt-waists and the like comprising a body portionmade of coiled Wire, and an independent retaining- Wire looped aroundthe Wire of said body portion for preventing undue extension of suchportion.

2. An exhibiting-form of the class described comprising a body portionof coiled Wire, and

GEO. R. SI-IARF.

Witnesses:

FRANK PARI-IAM, R. L. POWELL.

